I use stevia and monkfruit, natural but very low carb. They don't seem to affect my body in very low amounts. If I have too much then I start having cravings.

I only use Stevia. Honey and agave would not work on keto - waaay too many carbs. Your body cannot identify natural sugars from artificial, it would react the same to each.

TheTrophyWife wrote: »

I guess it's nothing at all then. I can't do artificial.

I dont think Stevia is counted as an artificial sweetener per say. You can grow it yourself. Ive done it. Takes lots of plants to get a small amount of stevia but it is really sweet and natural.

I like Monk Fruit better than Stevia. Much less bitter in my opinion. Also, totally natural. I use Monk Fruit in the raw, which is available at almost all grocery stores.

TheTrophyWife wrote: »

I've tried Stevia and it is disgusting. What it did to the taste of my coffee is unspeakable.

Now... this Monk Fruit thing. You're using fruit as a sweetener? How does that work with coffee and tea?

Also, I went WAY off course this weekend. I consumed sugar and carbs like they were going out of business (nope, didn't log it). I only gained two pounds and I'm sure it will be gone by the end of the day today if not tomorrow. I think that I can make it five days without any kind of sweetener but I might have to have a tiny bit on the weekends. I really want to try to make it without any sweetener at all because I don't want anything to slow down my progress. At the same time, I'm a realist. I know that if I "deny" myself anything for too long, I'll end up talking myself into having it and then rationalizing it. I think weening is going to work much better for me. I am definitely staying away from agave nectar (sniff) as one serving has about 26g of carbs!!!

Thanks for all of the tips. You have all been really helpful!

I can't speak for monk fruit, but you could try the complete opposite way with your coffee -- add fats to it. A lot of low carb people are huge fans of Bulletproof Coffee. The original guy that created that name is ultra picky about the ingredients he names (so if you find the recipe online, it'll be stuff like "this specific coffee and this specific butter"), but it's just coffee with a couple tablespoons each of butter and coconut oil, blended in a blender or with an immersion blender. A lot of people swear by it, and the concept has been used for centuries (Tibetan monks have put Yak butter in their tea since forever).

You might also want to try different kinds of coffee, and maybe even try espresso, especially if you're sweetening your coffee to mask any bitter taste. A good latte using cream (or even half and half) is divine, but it takes a good espresso.

TheTrophyWife wrote: »

Thanks. There is no way I could grow anything. The time is not there. I may try honey. I haven't been had any cravings and even before I started I never craved sugar. I craved hamburgers!

I know you already said you tried Stevia and didn't like it, but I wanted to address this response, anyway. She wasn't saying you had to grow it, but that you could if you wanted, and that's what separates Stevia from artificial sweeteners. There is no aspartame plant that you can grow.

"What is dextrose and why is it included in Monk Fruit In The Raw®?

Dextrose is a natural carbohydrate derived from corn. Many sugar substitutes in powder form contain dextrose because it is a natural ingredient and does not change the flavor of the sweetener in the blend. In Monk Fruit In The Raw, dextrose is used to dilute the very potent monk fruit extract, which is about 200-300 times sweetener than sugar, to make it measurable for consumers."

It's widely available at pretty much all major grocery stores.

Ha, too funny.

TheTrophyWife wrote: »

Okay, the monk fruit is strange in coffee. Reminds me of Stevia. I'm going to push through it though. Maybe I'll acquire a taste for it and maybe it's going to be better mixed with butter, whipped cream, and lemon extract.

You do have to get used to it. I used to HATE it. Now I'm quite content. What helps me is coconut oil for some reason. I don't mind coconut taste and it cuts the strange. It may well taste better to you with your chosen additives.